WBSSC considering review petition in High Court

MP, 20 Sept 2024, KOLKATA: The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) is deliberating on filing a review petition in the Calcutta High Court (HC), seeking clarification on the recent order by a Division Bench regarding the recruitment of assistant teachers at the upper primary level in state-run schools. 

This move is expected to delay the publication of the final merit list. On August 28, after nearly a decade, the Calcutta High Court allowed the recruitment process to proceed. 

The Division Bench, comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, directed the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBCSSC) to prepare and publish the final merit list, including candidates who were previously excluded due to irregularities in their credentials, within four weeks. 

The court also instructed the commission to conduct fresh counseling for 14,052 candidates who appeared for the personality test (PT) and to recommend them within four weeks following the publication of the final merit list. 

“There are certain ambiguities in the Division Bench’s order. If we were to implement the order word by word, some ineligible candidates might need to be included in the panel, which we do not want to do, as it could lead to legal complications. That’s why we are considering filing a review petition in the same forum,” said Siddhartha Majumder, chairman of WBSSC. 

Approximately 100 candidates have irregularities in their caste category certificates or educational qualifications. 

According to sources, WBSSC officials met with higher officials from the School Education department on Wednesday to discuss the matter. The review petition is expected to be filed at the Division Bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee soon. In the meantime, a group of job aspirants has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s August 28 verdict. 

They argue that the recruitment process is illegal and violates the reservation policy. The WBSSC has also filed a caveat in response.